Pre-E3 2007: Rise of the Argonauts

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Rotting sterns are the least of Jason's worries.

By Jeremy Dunham

"I really want to play this game." That's the phrase that kept popping into my head during our recent non-playable demo of Codemasters' original PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 IP, Rise of the Argonauts. Developed by the Dragonshard guys at Liquid Entertainment, the scheduled-for-2008 RPG looks like it has a lot of promise -- even if it is only running on PC dev stations right now.

Loosely based on the Greek mythological hero, Jason of Iolcus, Rise of the Argonauts resurrects one of the world's most famous parables. Rather than following the popular myth beat for beat, however, the creative team has taken several liberties to tell the story they want to tell. Instead of Jason pursuing the Golden Fleece because of a plot to kill him by his evil uncle Pelias, for example, Jason now seeks the Fleece to restore the life of his dead bride who was murdered on their wedding day (no word yet as to who the bride is; be it Jay's first spouse Medea, his second wife Glauce [who we suspect it is], or a completely fictional woman created for the videogame).

Jason and his Argonauts is a legend older than some religions.

Once the journey's underway, though, there are plenty of familiar sides to the story. Take Jason's magnificent galley, the Argos, for instance. It's a central part of the plotline and acts as a means of travel between the game's 15 different islands and as a "floating trophy case." But the prizes that beautify the Argos aren't just in the visual categories (which represent specific accomplishments unlocked in each land), but also of the practical type. In other words, the boat is completely customizable to reflect the player's progress and it can inherit priests, blacksmiths and other NPCs that provide upgrades and other special needs. Think of it as a buoyant Suikoden fortress and you'll get the general idea.

Of course, with an "Argos" there are "Argonauts" (After all, they are in the title) and selecting the proper companions for each task is all part of the game's strategy. In our demonstration, we were introduced to two of them, Hercules and Atalanta, but learned that Achilles and Odysseus (Ulysses) will be selectable as well. We're assuming that we'll see Philoctetes, Orpheus and Euphemus too, but until Codemasters confirms anything, that's just conjecture on our part.

Artemis always was a snappy dresser.

One thing we know for sure, though, is that in battle Hercules and Atalanta are invaluable teammates. Combat happens entirely in real time with moves taken right out of competitors like God of War and The Mark of Kri. Hercules, for example, is a giant mountain of muscle that's capable of ripping his enemy's arms off (with appropriate blood fountain in tow) or deracinating half-ton objects to use as weapons. Atalanta is the exact opposite -- opting for a speedy long-range bow attack that keeps her pretty face from getting too close to the action. In total, players will be able to select up to two support buddies for Jason at a time and we're told that each and every one of them will be "totally badass."

To prove it, Codemasters fired up a sequence that showed what a typical quest in Rise of the Argonauts is like. After getting through a lengthy cutscene that sees our heroes conversing with the goddess Artemis (who boasts a sweet "Horse-meets-plant" character design), the crew is tasked with hunting down the newly transformed huntsman, Adonis. But in another reinterpretation of popular mythology, you needn't kill Orion's former apprentice with the tusks of a boar -- as he has in fact become a giant boar himself. Why? It's Artemis' punishment for deflowering and killing a virtuous dryad, and should the trio defeat him, they'll earn Orion's magical belt as a reward. It sounded like a pretty good excuse to see the team in action to us, and with that the three were on their way.